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The Scherzo à la russe was first conceived as a work for film use, as it was intended to be featured in The North Star. When the film project was aborted,he arranged this symphonic version in 1945.

The defining characteristics of the Scherzo à la Russe are the fast tempi, the predominating rhythmic elements, unusual phrasing, and a structure with three main ideas, repeating the scherzo with two trios in the middle. Typically the scherzo is recognisable by its march-like, stomping rhythm and is represented by the piano, the violoncello, the double-bass and the bass drum. By contrast, the brass-section, working in opposition to the whole orchestra, tries to dissolve the scherzo rhythm with forceful syncopation. The first trio represents a complete contrast to the scherzo – achieved primarily by the orchestral scoring, which is reduced to the size of a chamber orchestra. The second trio is divided into a three-part form, in which both the first and third sections are based on themes from the scherzo, leading to and from the central part of the trio. The middle section presents a type of fanfare, which is characterized by the rhythmical and virtuosic use of the brass- and percussion-sections.